Harassment Case Moves to Ethics Committee

Fields, Gary. Wall Street Journal (Online) [New York, N.Y] 12 Jan 2012: n/a.
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The report, by the Office of Congressional Ethics, the House's independent ethics investigative arm, recommended further review because "there is probable cause to believe that Representative Hastings violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law" in his contact with Winsome Packer, a staff member on a commission Mr. Hastings headed.

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TranslateFull text Turn on search term navigation A congressional ethics panel investigating allegations that Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings sexually harassed a staff member said in a report released Wednesday that the House Committee on Ethics should review the allegations. The report, by the Office of Congressional Ethics, the House's independent ethics investigative arm, recommended further review because "there is probable cause to believe that Representative Hastings violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law" in his contact with Winsome Packer, a staff member on a commission Mr. Hastings headed. Mr. Hastings on Wednesday denied the allegations in a statement: "As I have said repeatedly since this matter first came to my attention, I unequivocally deny the allegations made by Ms. Packer. The acts alleged are contrary to my character and to the main objective of my career in Congress, advancing the civil rights of all people." The Office of Congressional Ethics' investigation began last year after Judicial Watch, a conservative group, filed a lawsuit as the legal counsel for Ms. Packer. She alleged she was sexually harassed by the congressman. Ms. Packer said a number of incidents occurred between January 2008 and February 2010. At the time, Mr. Hastings was chairman of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, a group set up in the 1970s to monitor a Cold-War era pact. Ms. Packer, a Republican, worked for the commission. In his statement Wednesday, Mr. Hastings said that while the report from the OCE restates the allegations made in Ms. Packer's lawsuit, "it does not credit her statements as truthful or point to any evidence that corroborates her claims. Instead, the OCE referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics on the chance that the Committee might be able to uncover some evidence to which the OCE was not privy." He said he looks forward to a Committee on Ethics review. The OCE, which voted

5-1 to make the recommendation, report said "these findings do not constitute a determination that a violation actually occurred." The report said only one of the staff members on the U.S. Commission who might have witnessed the interactions between Mr. Hastings and Ms. Packer cooperated with its investigation, leaving its review with no third-party witness to rebut or confirm Ms. Packer's allegations. "The Board had particular concern that the refusal of key witnesses to cooperate may have left it without a complete and accurate factual record of the interactions" between Ms. Packer and Mr. Hastings, the report said. "Further investigation, including witness interviews and certain documentary evidence that was denied to the OCE but would be available under wider Committee processes, is necessary," the report said. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said in a statement that the House Ethics Committee should take action and "the Department of Justice ought to investigate the allegations against Rep. Hastings as well." Write to Gary Fields at gary.fields@wsj.com Credit: By Gary Fields (c) 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. Word count: 482 Cite Subject Congressional committees; Political ethics; Congressional investigations People Hastings, Alcee L Company/organization Office of Congressional Ethics (NAICS: 921120) Title Harassment Case Moves to Ethics Committee Author Fields, Gary

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Publication title Wall Street Journal (Online) Pages n/a Publication year 2012 Publication date Jan 12, 2012 Year 2012 Section US Publisher New York, N.Y. Publisher Dow Jones & Company Inc Place of publication New York, N.Y. Country of publication United States Journal subject Business And Economics Source type Newspapers Language of publication English Document type News Subfile Political ethics, Congressional investigations, Congressional committees ProQuest document ID 915237208

Document URL http://search.proquest.com.proxy.davenport.edu/docview/915237208?accountid=40195 Copyright (c) 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. Last updated 2012-01-11 Database ProQuest Central